RGUMENT 




PRESENTED TO 



THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY 



FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 



GOVERNMENT ARMOR PLANT 



IN THE VICINITY OF 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 



Presented by the 

Petersburg Armor Plant Committee 

Representing the 

City of Petersburg 

and the 

Chamber of Commerce of Petersburg, Inc. 



September, 1916 



ARGUMENT 

PRESENTED TO 

THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY 

FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 

GOVERNMENT ARMOR PLANT 

IN THE VICINITY OF 

PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 



Presented by the 

Petersburg Armor Plant Committee 

i * 

Representing the 

City of Petersburg 

and the 

Chamber of Commerce of Petersburg, Inc. 



September, 1916 



■71 

PETEESBUEG AEMOE PLANT COMMITTEE 1 

Chairman 
Chaeles T. Lassitee 

Secretary 
William M. Maetin 

Representing the City of Petersburg 

Board of Aldermen Common Council 

W. E. Poole N. T. Patteson 

John E. Haevell W. I. Wheaby 

J. W. Bbown 

Representing Chamber of Commerce of Petersburg, Inc. 
Chaeles T. Lassitee, President 
William M. Maetin, Secretary 
E. C. Kent 
LeEoy Hodges 



u 



Counsel 
Chaeles Hall Davis 

Economic Advisers 
Bueeau op Applied Economics 

Southern Building, Washington 



Resolution of ^August 29, 1916, creating Petersburg Armor Plant 
Committee: 

"Resolved, That the committee appointed by the Chamber of Com- 
merce, consisting of E. C. Kent, chairman, LeRoy Hodges, and Wm. 
M. Martin; and the committee appointed by the Common Council and 
Board of Aldermen of the City of Petersburg, consisting of W. E. 
Poole, chairman, J. E. Harvell, W. I. Wheary, J. W. Brown, and N. T. 
Patteson, together with Charles T. Lassiter, the president of the 
Chamber of Commerce, be and the same are hereby organized into the 
Petersburg Armor Plant Committee, of which Charles T. Lassiter 
shall be chairman, and Wm. M. Martin shall be secretary, for the pur- 
pose of systematically directing and conducting the effort to secure 
the location, at or near Petersburg, of the proposed Government armor 
plate plant." 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Preface 5 

Summary of the advantages possessed by the Petersburg, Virginia, 

area for the location of the Government armor plant 6 

Statement of the assistance which the community will render 
in establishing the Government armor plant at or in the 

Ticinity of Petersburg 7 

Condensed topical outline of the argument for the location of 
the Government armor plant at or in the vicinity of 
Petersburg 11 

ARGUMENT 

Strategic and economic advantages of locating the Government 

armor plant in the Chesapeake bay region 21 

Chesapeake bay locations compared with other Atlantic coast 
points, inland and lake points, Gulf points, and Pacific 
coast points 29 

Relative importance of the Petersburg area when considering 

the Chesapeake bay region 31 

Economic advantages of a location in the Petersburg area. . . 37 

Assurances that adequate railroad and other transportation 
facilities will be provided to serve the specific location rec- 
ommended in the Petersburg area 47 

Conclusion 49 

GENERAL STATISTICS OF PETERSBURG 

Table 1. General financial condition of the City of Petersburg, 

1913 53 

Table 2. Summary of statistics of manufactures for Petersburg 

as reported by the Bureau of the Census, 1909-1914 . . 54 

Table 3. Value of exports and imports of the Port of Petersburg, 

by years, 1911-1915 54 

Table 4. Combined financial condition of the State and National 
banks at Petersburg on March 7, 1916; March 4, 
1915, and March 4, 1914 55 

Table 6. Increase of business at the Petersburg Postoffice for 
the year ending March 31, 1916, as compared with 
the year ending March 31, 1915 56 

Table 6. Comparison of value of new buildings erected and 
additions and improvements to old buildings at Peters- 
burg for the years 1915 and 1916 56 

Table 7. Summary of climatological data for Petersburg 57 

Table 8. Farm area, value of farm property, and value of 
principal crops, for the State of Virginia, and each 
of the three counties adjacent to Petersburg, as 
reported by the Thirteenth Census 58 

Table 9. Value of specified crops produced in the eleven South- 
side Virginia counties in Petersburg's local trade 
territory, as reported by the Thirteenth Census 59 

Table 10. Production of corn, peanuts and tobacco in the eleven 
specified Southside Virginia counties in Petersburg's 
local trade territory, as reported by the Thirteenth 
Census 59 

S 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 



Page 



Table 11. Annual production of lumber in Virginia within & 
radius of 50 miles of Petersburg, by specified coun- 
ties, as reported by the Thirteenth Census 00 

Table 12. Railroad distances and first-class mail time between 
Petersburg and thirty specified cities in the United 
States east of the Mississippi river 60 

MAPS 

Map 1. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with ref- 
erence to distribution of population, wealth, manufac- 
tures and agricultural products; to the location of 
United States Navy Yards, and important private ship- 
building plants, and to the location of existing armor 
plate works in the United States in 1916 63 

Map 2. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with ref- 
erence to lower Chesapeake bay (according to the 
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey), showing 
proposed sites for the Government armor plant south 
of the Appomattox and James rivers, 1916 63 

Map 3. Railroad facilities at Petersburg, Virginia, and of the 

adjacent territory within a radius of 50 miles, 1916. . 63 

Map 4. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with ref- 
erence to the distribution of iron ores in the United 
States, according to the United States Geological 
Survey 63 

Map 5. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with ref- 
erence to the location of blast furnaces in the United 
States, according to the Thirteenth Census of the 
United States 63 

Map 6. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with ref- 
erence to the supply and movement to tidewater of 
Pocahontas and New River coal; and to the Virginia 
deposits of limestone and manganese and nickel ores 
in 1916 63 

Map 7. Petersburg, Virginia, and environs, showing industrial 
communities and railroad and other transportation 
facilities in 1916 68 

Map 8. Petersburg, Virginia, showing local railroad facilities 
and location of primary and secondary industrial estab- 
lishments in 1916 63 



PREFACE 

Petersburg, Virginia, is located at the head of navi- 
gation on the Appomattox river, in the counties of 
Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George, about eighty 
miles west of Norfolk and one hundred and thirty-nine 
miles south of Washington. The present population of 
the city is about 30,000. It is served by the Norfolk and 
Western, Atlantic Coast Line, and the Seaboard Air 
Line Railroads, and the interurban electric lines of the 
Virginia Railway and Power Company. Petersburg is 
an important tobacco, peanut, trunk and valise, and lum- 
ber manufacturing center. 

Nine miles northeast of Petersburg on the south side 
of the Appomattox river, at its confluence with the James, 
are located the City of Hopewell and City Point, with a 
combined population of 20,000. Adjoining Hopewell, on 
the James river, are the extensive munitions works of 
the E. I. duPont deNemours and Company. Transpor- 
tation between Petersburg and Hopewell comprises the 
Appomattox river, a double track steam line of the 
Norfolk and Western Railway Company, a twenty-minute 
service trolley line, and a modern concrete highway. 



This request that the Government armor plant be 
located in the vicinity of Petersburg is presented on 
behalf of the city of Petersburg, the county of Prince 
George, 2 and the following organizations : 

Chamber of Commerce of Petersburg, Inc. 
Retail Merchants' Association, Inc. 
Petersburg Mechanic Association. 
Travelers' Protective Association. 



Resolution of September 4, 1916, passed by the Board of Super- 
visors of the County of Prince George, Virginia: 

"Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors of Prince George County 
hereby endorse and approve the effort now being made by the Board 
of Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Petersburg and by the 
Petersburg Chamber of Commerce to secure the location of a Gov- 
ernment armor plant at or near Petersburg. 

"Resolved further, That the board hereby appoints Hon. Timothy 
Rives, commonwealth's attorney, and Mr. George R. Hatch, chairman 
of the board, a special committee to cooperate with the above named 
representatives of Petersburg." 

5 



REASONS WHY GOVERNMENT ARMOR 

PLANT SHOULD BE LOCATED AT 

PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

Summary of the Advantages Possessed by the 
Petersburg Area 

1. An easily defended and strategic geogaphical loca- 

tion, on a navigable fresh-water tributary of 
Chesapeake Bay. 

2. Unexcelled railroad and deep-water transportation 

facilities, with correspondingly low freight rates. 

3. An nnlimited supply of cheap, highest grade fuel. 

4. Cheap and abundant hydro-electric power. 

5. A protected supply of iron and manganese ores, pig 

iron, and fluxing materials. 

6. Easy access to the available supplies of nickel and 

other required metals. 

7. An inexhaustible supply of pure water. 

8. An adequate labor supply. 

9. Unsurpassed climatic and general health conditions. 
10. And an abundant, nearby food supply. 



ASSISTANCE WHICH THE COMMUNITY 
WILL RENDER 

Financial Aid From City of Petersburg 

On August 29, 1916, a special joint committee of the 
Board of Aldermen and Common Council of the City of 
Petersburg, appointed on August 28, 1916, unanimously 
passed the following resolution : 3 

"Resolved, By the joint committee of the Common 
Council and Board of Aldermen of the City of Peters- 
burg, appointed at a joint meeting held on the night of 
Monday, August 28, 1916, for the purpose of cooperating 
with the committee of the Chamber of Commerce of 
Petersburg, Inc., in the effort to secure the location, at 
or near Petersburg, of the proposed Government armor 
plate plant : 

"That the said joint committee recommends to the 
Common Council and Board of Aldermen of the City of 
Petersburg, that, by suitable action and resolution, they 
shall bind the city to make an appropriation of $500,000, 
to be contributed by said City to be expended under the 
direction of the Secretary of the Navy in establishing, or 
furnishing transportation or other facilities to or from, 
or in erecting or equipping or otherwise in connection 
with the proposed Government armor plate plant, pro- 
vided that such plant be located south of the Appomattox 
and James rivers, and in the County of Prince George, 
Virginia, or within the corporate limits of the City of 
Petersburg, or within the County of Dinwiddie, Virginia, 
not more than ten miles from the City of Petersburg. ' 9 

This offer of financial assistance from the City of 
Petersburg holds good in case any one of the three prof- 

3 Owing to lack of time available before September 13 — the last 
day on which proposals of sites for the armor plant will be accepted 
by the Navy Department — it has been impossible, under the rules 
governing the action of the Council, to have this resolution confirmed. 
It is the opinion of the Petersburg Armor Plant Committee, however, 
that an ordinance approving and ratifying the action of the special 
joint committee will be passed at the earliest possible date, and that 
such action on the part of the Council will meet with the hearty 
approval of the whole community. 



8 PETERSBUBG, VIEGINIA 

fered sites described below is accepted or designated by 
the Secretary of the Navy as the location for the proposed 
armor plant. 

Free Sites Offered 

Petersburg Site: In addition to the financial assistance 
pledged above, the City of Petersburg will convey to the 
United States, free, or for such nominal amount as may 
be required to make the gift legal, one thousand (1,000) 
acres of land, or so much thereof as may be needed, of a 
tract adjoining the City on the south, which is crossed by 
the Norfolk and Western and the Atlantic Coast Line 
railroads, and which is easily worth over one hundred 
thousand (100,000) dollars. 4 

The following resolution was passed by the special 
joint committee of the Board of Aldermen and Common 
Council of the City of Petersburg on August 29, 1916: 

"Resolved, That this Committee recommends: That 
the Common Council and Board of Aldermen of the City 
of Petersburg pass the necessary resolutions committing 
the City of Petersburg to convey to the United States 
one thousand acres of land out of the land now owned 
by said City within the corporate limits and within the 
counties of Prince George and Dinwiddie, Virginia, for 
the location of the proposed armor plate plant, should 
the Government select such location, such land being be- 
lieved to be of a fair value of one hundred thousand 
dollars." 

Appomattox River Site: In case the Secretary of the 
Navy should deem it expedient to locate the proposed 
armor plant in the Petersburg area, Mr. Charles S. Bar- 
row, a citizen of the Petersburg area, will convey to the 
United States, free, or for such nominal amount as may 
be required to make the gift legal, two hundred and fifty 
(250) acres of land as a site for the plant, or so much 

*The location of this proposed site is shown on Map 2. 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 9 

thereof as may be needed, to be selected out of a 500-acre 
tract located on the south bank of the Appomattox river, 
between two and three miles from its mouth, and about 
eight miles below the City of Petersburg. 5 

James River Site: Mr. Thomas J. Shepherd and asso- 
ciates, citizens of the Petersburg area, also will convey 
to the United States, free, or for such nominal amount as 
may be required to make the gift legal, five hundred 
(500) acres of land to be used as the site for the proposed 
armor plant, which may be selected out of a 3,000-acre 
tract, known as the Fort Powhatan tract, located on 
the south bank of the James river at its narrowest point — 
where the water has a depth of from 70 to 90 feet — 
about 15 miles below the mouth of the Appomattox, and 
about 16 miles from the City of Petersburg, on the east- 
ern edge of the County of Prince George, Virginia. 5 

"The location of this proposed site is shown on Map 2. 



CONDENSED TOPICAL OUTLINE OF ARGUMENT 

I. Strategic and economic advantages of locating the 
armor plant in the Chesapeake Bay region. (Maps 
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.) 
A. Strategic geographical position. 

(a) Military and naval strategic importance. 

1. Key to heart of the nation. 

2. America's greatest harbor. 

3. Contains principal shipbuilding plant in 

the United States, and two United 
States navy yards, at Norfolk and 
Washington. 

4. Commands approach to Washington, the 

seat of Federal Government, to east- 
ern Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Norfolk, 
Berkeley, Portsmouth, Suffolk, New- 
port News, Fredericksburg, Richmond, 
and to the Petersburg area, including 
Hopewell (where is located one of the 
country's largest munition plants). 

5. Radiating rivers and trunk line rail- 

roads give access to great and valuable 
sections of country. Its loss would 
give to an enemy an invaluable mili- 
tary and naval base. 

6. Importance, compared with: 

a. Other Atlantic points. 

b. Inland points. 

c. Gulf points. 

d. hake points. 

e. Pacific points. 

7. Necessarily defended for protection of 

the country. Fortress Monroe and 
Cape Henry. 

n 



12 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

8. If Atlantic seaboard is lost, no need for 
naval armor, as fleet would have been 
destroyed. 

B. General economic importance. 

C. Transportation advantages. 

(a) Water. 

1. Transatlantic shipping. 

2. Coastwise lines. 

3. Bay lines. 

4. Five great tributary rivers. 

5. River lines of steamships. 

(b) Rail. 

1. Trunk line systems terminating in 

Chesapeake Bay region. 

2. Mileage, territory covered, volume and 

character of traffic. 

D. Advantages possessed with regard to supply of fuel 

and raw materials. 

(a) Protected, unlimited and prompt supply of 

Pocahontas and New River coals and coke. 
(Map 6.) 

1. Character of coal and coke. 

2. Volume of movement to Hampton Roads. 

(b) Unlimited supply of iron ores available. 

(Map 4.) 

1. In time of peace. 

a. Cuban and West Indian ores. 

b. Birmingham ores via Mobile. 

c. Central and South American ores. 

d. Canadian ores. 

e. Virginia, West Virginia and Ten- 

nessee ores. 

2. In times of war. 

a. Protected Virginia, [West Virginia 

and Tennessee ores. 

b. Birmingham ores by rail (Lake 

Superior water movement of ore 
cut off if at war with Great 
Britain). 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 13 

(c) Unlimited supply of pig iron available. 

(Map 5.) 

1. In times of peace : 

By water, rail, and rail and water 
transportation from producing fur- 
naces and from basing points. 

2. In times of war: 

Protected supply from Virginia, West 
Virginia and Tennessee furnaces. 

(d) Supply of manganese. 

1. Imported manganese at low freight cost. 

2. Protected supply of Virginia and Geor- 

gia manganese in time of war. 

3. Extent and character of Virginia and 

Georgia deposits. 

(e) Nickel and other raw materials. 

1. Nickel. 

(a) Nickel from Canada at low freight 

rates. 

(b) Protected nickel deposits in Vir- 

ginia. (Map 6.) 

2. Limestone. 

(a) Unlimited amount of Virginia 
limestone in protected area. 
(Map 6.) 

3. Scrap iron. 

Volume of scrap iron markets in im- 
mediate territory. 

4. Availability of other needed raw mate- 

rial at low freight rates. 

II. Relative Importance of the Petersburg Area When 
Considering the Chesapeake Bag Region. 

A. Advantages of location on James river compared 
with the other tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. 
(Maps 1 and 2.) 



14 PETERSBUEG, VIRGINIA 

(a) Important urban industrial centers at the 

head of navigation on James and Appo- 
mattox rivers and on each side of river at 
the month of the James, making it an inter- 
urban water highway. This is not true of 
the other four rivers. 

(b) The large majority of the coal moving to 

the Chesapeake Bay (amounting to two- 
thirds of entire coal movements to the 
Chesapeake) follows the James river to 
tidewater. (Map 6.) 

(c) Great shipyard at Newport News on one side 

and the Norfolk navy yard on the other 
side of the James at its mouth. 

(d) Population of about 400,000 from which to 

draw labor. 

(e) Easily protected by lines of river defenses. 
(/) Fresh water with minimum 20-foot depth to 

Hampton Roads. 
B. Advantages of location south of the James and 
Appomattox rivers. (Map 2.) 

(a) Nearly two-thirds of the volume of the coal 

movement to tidewater on Chesapeake bay 
and nearly three-fourths of this movement 
to Hampton Roads is on the south side of 
of these rivers. (Map 6.) 
1. Comparison with coal movement to : 

a. New York. 

b. Philadelphia. 

c. Baltimore. 

d. Charleston. 

(b) North of the Appomattox, and south of the 

James, in Chesterfield County, natural bar- 
riers separate available sites from the im- 
portant coal roads; river sites are inac- 
cessible to labor and materials, and the 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 15 

James river is tortuous, requiring long 
stretch of channel to be maintained to re- 
quired depth. 

(c) Unexcelled climatic and general health con- 

ditions. (Statistical Table 7.) 
1. Freedom from serious storms and 
freshets. 

(d) Nearby food supply. 

1. Trucking industry of Southeast Virginia. 

(e) Unexcelled physical advantages of country 

for a site. (Map 3.) 
1. General topography affords easy local 
transportation grades, an ideal level 
location for plant, and thorough 
drainage. 
0. Why the plant should be located on the south side 
of the Appomattox or James within the County 
of Prince George, and not below the " Narrows" 
of the James. (Maps 2 and 3.) 

(a) Below the "Narrows" of jthe James, the 

water sometimes becomes brackish, the up- 
stream limit of salt water being practically 
the mouth of the Chickahominy, just below 
the "Narrows." 

(b) The shortest and the only practical crossing 

on the James is at the "Narrows," where 

the high bluffs make possible a bridge that 

will not obstruct navigation. 

1. A crossing at this point would put all 

three coal carriers, with Hampton 

Roads terminals, on south side of 

James. 

(c) A location below the "Narrows" would be 

inaccessible by rail and highway, to labor 
and food supplies, and more remote from 
coal roads. 



16 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

(d) A location on the James above its confluence 

with the Appomattox would be inaccessible 
to labor, cut off from coal roads by natural 
barriers, on a tortuous part of the river, 
requiring maintenance of channel depth 
over a long and costly stretch, with no cor- 
responding advantage. (Map 2.) 

(e) A location on south side of the Appomattox 

river within four miles of its mouth would 
require only the dredging of bar at mouth 
from 12-foot to 20-foot depth. (Map 2.) 

III. Economic Advantages of Location in the Peters- 
burg Area. 

A. Transportation facilities in Petersburg area. (Maps 
2, 3 and 6.) 
(a) Railroads. 

1. East and west lines. 

a. The Norfolk and Western Rail- 
way and the Virginian Railway 
on the south side of the James, 
and the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Railway on the north side, but 
easily accessible by a bridge at 
the "Narrows" are the three 
great coal roads handling Poca- 
hontas and New River coals. 
(Map 6.) 
b. Cheap freight rates. 

2. North and south lines. 

a. Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air 
Line, Chesapeake and Ohio, and 
Southern railroads, northern con- 
nections at Petersburg and Rich- 
mond. Connections at Cape 
Charles with the N. Y. P. and 
N. Ry. 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 17 

3. New branch steam rail lines guaranteed, 
giving direct connections to all or 
nearly all trunk lines in territory — 
particularly new Norfolk and Western 
line — Petersburg to James river 
location. 

(b) Steamship lines. (Maps 1 and 2.) 

1. Virginia Navigation Company and Old 

Dominion Line from Richmond to 
Norfolk. 

2. River lines between Petersburg, Hope- 

well, Richmond and Norfolk. 

3. Bay lines to Baltimore, Washington, 

etc., from Norfolk and Old Point 
Comfort. 

4. Coastwise lines : Old Dominion Line, 

Merchants and Miners, and Clyde Line 
from Norfolk to coast ports. 

5. Freight lines from Norfolk and Newport 

News to coastwise points and to the 
ports of the world. 

(c) Trolley lines. 

1. Virginia Railway and Power Company, 

owning all trolley lines in Petersburg, 
Richmond and Norfolk section. 

2. Interurban line from Petersburg to 

Richmond. 

3. Interurban line from Petersburg to 

Hopewell. 

4. Proposed trolley line from Petersburg 

to James river location. 

(d) Highways. 

1. Quebec to Miami highway through 

Petersburg. 

2. New concrete road Petersburg to Hope- 

well. 



1- PZTZRSBTTEG. VIECtDTLA 

3. Proposed hard road Petersburg to 
James river location. 

B. Fuel supply in Petersburg area. (Map 6.) 

(a) Pocahontas and New Biver coals. 

1 . Analyses compared with Pittsburgh and 

Birning-ha^i era's. 

ol Used by the United States Navy. 
_ Cost f . o. b. at proposed sites. 
3. Amount available, and movement to 

tidewater. (Map 6.) 

C. Supply of iron ores, pig iron and scrap iron. (Maps 

4 and 5.) 

D. Limestone and manganese supply. (Map 6.) 

E. Belative advantage with reference to available 

supply of nickel and other required metals. 
7 ^Tater supply. 
G. Labor supply. (Map 2.) 
H. Climatic and general health conditions. (Statistical 

Table 7.) 
L Cheap and abundant hydro-electric power. 
J. Nearby food supply. 

IV. Assurances of Adequate Transportation Facili: 
to Serve the Specific Location Recommended. 

A. Adequate steam railroad facilities. (Map 2.) 

(a) Norfolk and Western line from Petersburg 

to James river location, 
(o) Suitable connections with steam roads in 

territory. 

B. Trolley and highwav facilities from ?T:ersburg to 

James river location. 

(a) Trolley line. 

(o) Hard paved highway. 

C. Statement of responsibility assumed by: 

(a) The City of Petersburg. 



PETEESBUEG, VIRGINIA 19 

1. The action of its governing body in 

pledging $500,000 to be nsed to assure 
transportation facilities, or otherwise. 

2. Its offer of 1,000 acres of land conserva- 

tively worth over $100,000 for a site, 
if desired. 

(b) The County of Prince George. 

(c) Railroads. 

1. Norfolk and Western Railway. 

2. Southern Railway. 

3. Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. 

4. Virginian Railway. 

5. Seaboard Air Line Railway. 

6. Atlantic Coast Line Railway. 

(d) Responsible organizations, corporations, and 

individuals. 

1. Chamber of Commerce of Petersburg, 

Inc. 

2. Retail Merchants Association. 

3. Petersburg Mechanics Association. 

4. Travelers Protective Association. 

5. Offer of 250 acres for location on Appo- 

mattox river by Charles S. Barrow. 

6. Offer of 500 acres for location on James 

river by T. J. Shepherd. 



ARGUMENT 

STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF 

LOCATING THE ARMOR PLANT IN THE 

CHESAPEAKE BAY REGION 

An inspection of any map of the United States imme- 
diately reveals the strategic and economic importance of 
the Chesapeake bay region. Located practically in the 
center of the Atlantic seaboard, it constitutes, in effect, 
the key to the heart of the nation. There is, in fact, no 
finer harbor in the world. It affords a direct sea ap- 
proach to Washington, the seat of onr Federal Govern- 
ment, and to the large and important cities of Baltimore, 
Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport 
News, Fredericksburg, Suffolk, Hopewell and Peters- 
burg. The industrial cities of eastern Pennsylvania, and 
the interior of the States of Maryland, Delaware, Vir- 
ginia, and North Carolina, are easily reached from this 
body of water. Through the railroads, radiating from the 
Chesapeake bay region, the occupation of the bay by an 
enemy would afford numerous and easy avenues for 
the conquest of the entire country. Its loss would almost 
certainly mean the loss of our seat of government at 
Washington, and of the great shipbuilding plant at New- 
port News, as well as of the Norfolk and Washington 
navy yards. 

Defenses of the Chesapeake 

The importance of this great harbor, which has become 
the principal rendezvous for our navy, demonstrates the 
necessity for its protection; that this is recognized is 
evidenced by the defenses at Fortress Monroe and the 
provision for still more powerful defenses at Cape Henry, 
commanding the entrance to the bay from the Atlantic. 

21 



22 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

Importance Compared With Other Points 

Without even excepting the metropolis of New York, it 
is probable that the control of the Chesapeake bay by an 
enemy would mean the greatest single reverse that could 
happen to our country in time of war. The five great 
rivers emptying into the bay, some of them running back 
for hundreds of miles into the interior, and paralleled 
by railroad trunk lines, would afford easy access to the 
interior portions of the United States which show the 
greatest density of population, of wealth, and of manu- 
factures. The capture of a gulf port, like New Orleans, 
might mean an enormous danger to the central section 
of the country. The capture of San Francisco might 
segregate from the United States, in a military point of 
view, the entire Pacific slope. The control of the Great 
Lakes by an enemy might cut out a most valuable pro- 
ducing section of the United States. But an enemy con- 
trol of the Chesapeake bay, with the loss of the Capital, 
of the great cities on its border, of the shipbuilding plants, 
navy yards, and dry docks, embraced within its area, 
or that of its tributaries, with the consequent control of 
the radiating rivers and trunk line railroads, would be 
one of the greatest possible losses our country could 
suffer. 

It is evident, therefore, that the Chesapeake bay and 
its entrance must be defended ; and it is further evident 
that, when the Chesapeake bay is lost, it will mean that 
our navy has disappeared or been destroyed, and that 
the United States has no immediate need for a naval 
armor plate plant. 

Fallacies of Arguments Against Chesapeake Location 

It has been suggested that, in case of war, it might 
be necessary to retreat behind the Alleghany mountains, 
giving up the Atlantic seaboard, and that, consequently, 
for purposes of protection, the armor plate plant should 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 23 

be placed in tie Birmingham district. This argument 
overlooks the fact that in the event of such a catastrophe 
the enemy would also advance from the Gulf of Mexico, 
up the Mobile and Mississippi rivers, endangering the 
Birmingham district equally with the district east of 
the Alleghanies. It also overlooks the fact that, when 
the Atlantic seaboard, with its shipbuilding yards, navy 
yards, and dry docks, is lost, our navy would necessarily 
have been destroyed, and an armor plate plant would 
have lost its usefulness. 

Economic Importance 

The economic importance of the Chesapeake bay region 
can hardly be exaggerated. It is, in effect, an inland 
sea, bordered by large and populous communities, with 
water and rail approaches to inland points hundreds of 
miles distant. The lands upon its borders are highly cul- 
tivated, and are a most important factor in the production 
of truck and food for the nation. Its waters are a con- 
stant and never failing source of supply of fish, oysters, 
and other sea food. The production and manufacturing 
area which it practically dominates is second to none 
in size, importance, and value of products. 

Water Transportation 

The transportation advantages of this section are prob- 
ably unequalled by any other section in the United States. 
In addition to the transatlantic commerce from Norfolk 
and its vicinity, and to the growing importance of 
Hampton Roads on account of the opening of the Panama 
Canal, there has been built up a steady and continuous 
coastwise traffic, originating in the Chesapeake bay dis- 
trict, and handled largely by the Merchants and Miners 
Transportation Company, the Old Dominion Steamship 
Company, and the Clyde Line. The expanse of the bay 
and its tributaries is so large that independent fleets of 



24 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

steamers are regularly operated to transfer products and 
material from point to point. Two regular steamboat 
lines are operated from Baltimore to Norfolk, one from 
Washington to Norfolk, and, in addition, regular lines 
of steamers are operated up the Rappahannock, the York, 
the James and the Appomattox rivers. 

Rail Transportation 

The rail transportation facilities of the Chesapeake bay 
region are equally striking. At its southern end, several 
great trunk lines center at Norfolk and Newport News, 
namely, the Norfolk-Southern, the Atlantic Coast Line, 
the Southern Railway, the Seaboard Air Line, the Vir- 
ginian Railway, the Norfolk and Western, the Chesapeake 
and Ohio, and the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk 
branch of the Pennsylvania system. At is northern ex- 
tremity, the Baltimore and Ohio, the Western Maryland, 
the Northern Central and the main lines of the Penn- 
sylvania have their termini. The roads centering at its 
southern end cover the entire southern country east of 
the Mississippi river, and those terminating at its north- 
ern end are among the largest and most important lines 
in the northern and eastern sections of the United States. 
These competitive railroad lines, coupled with the water 
facilities, insure this section a most efficient transporta- 
tion service with the lowest obtainable freight rates. 

Fuel and Raw Materials 

The advantages possessed by the Chesapeake bay re- 
gion, as regards the supply of fuel and raw materials 
needed in the making of armor also are striking. 

Coal and Coke 

On Hampton Roads, at the lower end of the bay, are 
the terminals of the Norfolk and Western Railway, the 
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and the Virginian Rail- 
way. Over these three railroads is carried the great an- 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 25 

nual volume of Pocahontas and New River coal to 
Hampton Roads, amounting for the year 1915 to nearly 
15,000,000 gross tons. Pocahontas and New River coal 
constitute nearly 90 per cent of the coal used by the 
United States Navy, and is the highest grade fuel obtain- 
able in this country. Cheap high grade coal and coke 
are as important as the other raw materials needed for 
an armor plate plant. In the lower Chesapeake bay re- 
gion this fuel is available in a never ending supply of 
large volume and at a low cost. The very highest grade 
of coke is made from these coals. 

Coal Supply Protected 

Moreover, this supply of coal is adequately and entirely 
protected, and can be counted on with certainty, so long 
as the Chesapeake bay region is under the control of 
the United States. It is hardly conceivable that an enemy 
attack, from any other point on our coast line or on our 
borders, could affect or diminish the supply of West Vir- 
ginia and Virginia coal to Hampton Roads over the three 
great coal carriers that traverse the State of Virginia. 

Iron Ore 

While a location for an armor plate plant on the lower 
Chesapeake bay would thus afford a protected supply of 
the highest grade fuel, it is also to be observed that this 
location likewise affords an unlimited supply of iron ore. 
In times of peace, there can be brought into Chesapeake 
bay in unlimited quantities and at low cost, the high 
grade Cuban and West Indian ores, the Birmingham ores 
via Mobile bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the Central and 
South American ores via the Canal, when necessary, and 
the Canadian ores. All these ores are available by water 
transportation at the cheapest rates. Virginia, West 
Virginia and Kentucky ores also are available, being 
located along the lines of the three roads that supply 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

Hampton Roads with coal. This insures a supply of the 
very best ores at the lowest transportation cost to estab- 
lishments located at the southern end of the Chesapeake 
bay, or on one of its tributaries, during times of peace. 

Protected Ore Supply 

In times of war, when it is conceivable that ore supplie - 
from Cuba and the West Indies, from Central and South 
America, and from Canada, would be cut off, there are 
still available the great ore supplies of the Virginias 
and Tennessee, lying along the protected route served 
by the Norfolk and Western, the Chesapeake and Ohio, 
and the Virginian railroads. The abundance of these 
ores for this purpose, and their accessibility to transpor- 
tation is shown on map 4. 

In addition, in times of war, the Birmingham ores also 
are available by rail transportation. While they prob- 
ably could not then be brought to the Chesapeake bay by 
water transportation, yet. at such a time, they are easily 
and readily accessible by existing rail rou: 

Weakness of Locations Requiring Lake Superior Or* 

In this connection, it is perhaps well to note that the 
large majority of steel plants and similar industries lo- 
cated in the territory at the eastern end of the Great 
Lakes are largely dependent on the Minnesota and Mich- 
igan mines for their ore supply. These ores often are 
brought by water transportation on the Lakes a distance 
of more than 1,000 miles. Should the United States ever 
have the misfortune to be at war with Great Britain, 
for instance, this supply of ore by way of the Great 
Lakes would immediately be cut off by submarines, or 
otherwise. The railroads serving the Superior section 
would hardly be able to meet the military demands that 
would then be made upon them, or to handle the increased 
volume of ore for which the necessities of war would 
create a demand. 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 27 

Supply of Pig Iron in Times of Peace 

It is noticeable also that within the Chesapeake bay ter- 
ritory the other raw materials needed in the manufacture 
of armor plate are available in times of peace, in un- 
limited quantities at low rates; and that, in addition, 
a thoroughly protected supply can always be counted 
upon even in time of war. 

In times of peace, in addition to the Virginia and Mary- 
land supply of Bessemer pig iron, the pig iron produced 
by the Valley and Pittsburgh furnaces is available either 
by rail or by rail and water through Philadelphia and 
Baltimore to the Chesapeake bay district. The pig iron 
produced in the Birmingham district is also available by 
water via Mobile bay, and by rail and water via all the 
Gulf ports. 

Protected Pig Iron Supply in Times of War 

In times of war, when the water lanes of transporta- 
tion might be closed, always there is available the pro- 
tected pig iron supply of the Virginia, Tennessee and 
Kentucky furnaces, the general location of which is shown 
on map 5. These furnaces are accessible by rail to points 
on the lower Chesapeake bay or its tributaries that are 
served by any of the coal roads. 

Supply of Scrap Iron 

In like manner, because of the unexcelled water and 
rail transportation facilities existing in the lower Chesa- 
peake bay region an enormous amount of scrap iron can 
always be obtained, should it be required. The great 
cities bordering the bay, and the railroads which serve 
them can furnish an annual supply of scrap iron suffi- 
cient to meet the needs of the largest plant. This supply 
is available in time of war as well as in time of peace. 



28 PETER SBERG, VIRGINIA 

pply of Limestone, Manganese, Fluorspar and Nickel 

An inexhaustible protected supply of limestone is avail- 
able in Virginia along all three of the coal roads, while 
the more important manganese mines in Virginia are 
located along the lines of the Norfolk and Western rail- 
road. The Virginia and Georgia mines produce the bulk 
of the domestic manganese supply. In addition to these 
mines, the development of the mines in Brazil, Cuba and 
Panama insures an adequate supply of high grade for- 
eign ores easily accessible by water. In 1915, for in- 
stance, the United States imported more than 250,000 
tons of manganese ores from Brazil alone, as compared 
with a total combined domestic production of less than 
10,000 tons. 

The high grade Kentucky fluorspar deposits are avail- 
able easily by rail, while in Floyd county, Virginia, are 
commercially important deposits of nickel ores which can 
be brought into use if required. 



CHESAPEAKE BAY LOCATIONS COMPARED 
WITH OTHER ATLANTIC COAST POINTS, IN- 
LAND AND LAKE POINTS, GULF POINTS, AND 
PACIFIC COAST POINTS. 

The existing armor plants in the Philadelphia district, 
which are tributary to Delaware bay, and in the Pitts- 
burgh district would seem to furnish a valid argument 
against a further concentration of this industry in the 
State of Pennsylvania, or in a district depending largely 
on the continued and uninterrupted supply of Lake 
Superior ores. Such a concentration would seem to be 
unwise when a location on the James river at the south- 
ern end of Chesapeake bay would insure an entirely 
distinct and separate, and an easily defended, supply of 
coal and coke, iron ore, pig iron, and manganese, lime- 
stone and fluorspar. The transportation facilities of the 
lower Chesapeake bay give the area an advantage in 
freight rates over Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. 

Gulf Locations 
While a location on the Gulf of Mexico, possibly near 
Mobile, offers many advantages in its nearness to coal 
and coke, iron ore, pig iron and manganese, yet its re- 
moteness from the labor markets and from the shipbuild- 
ing plants and navy yards is against it. Added to this, 
considerations of temperature and climatic conditions, the 
violent storms to which it is subject, and its more ex- 
posed and less defended position, such a location cannot 
compare with one on Chesapeake bay. 

Pacific Coast Locations 
The higher price of coal and other raw materials, the 
labor conditions, and the distance from the great ship- 
building plants and navy yards of the Atlantic ports, 
are all arguments against a location on the Pacific coast. 
If that coast is inadequately defended, as many of its 
residents claim, then this should be a compelling reason 
for not locating the proposed Government armor plate 
plant there. 

29 



RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE PETERSBURG 
AREA WHEN CONSIDERING THE CHESA- 
PEAKE BAY REGION. 

Investigate the Chesapeake bay region more closely, 
and five great rivers are found to flow into the bay from 
the west and northwest — the Susquehanna, the Potomac, 
the Rappahannock, the York and the James, with its 
tributary, the Appomattox. 

Peculiar Situation and Advantages of the James River 
Comparing these rivers, it becomes evident at once 
that the most southern of them all, namely, the James, 
offers the most advantageous location for an armor plant. 
Of all these rivers, the James alone shows important 
urban industrial communities, both at the head of navi- 
gation and at its mouth, with navigable water forming 
a highway between the centers. Richmond on the James, 
and Petersburg on the Appomattox, are each at the 
head of tidewater; while the cities of Newport News, 
Norfolk and Portsmouth are located at the mouth of 
the James. These communities represent an aggregate 
population of fully 400,000. At Newport News is located 
the greatest shipbuilding plant in the United States, and 
at Norfolk is one of the Government's most important 
navy yards, which is to be extensively enlarged and 
improved. 

The physical conformation of the upper James at what 
is termed the " Narrows' ' makes it possible to fully pro- 
tect it with batteries and river defenses. About ten 
acres of land at this point already are owned by the 
Government, and known as Fort Powhatan. Here is 
located the 500 acre tract offered as a site for the pro- 
posed armor plant by the Shepherd interests. In prac- 
tically all our wars, except the Spanish-American war, 
this fort has been equipped and occupied. From this 
point there is an open ship channel to Hampton Roads 
with a minimum depth of 20 feet. 

31 



;. PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

T Great Coal Roads Run Down the YaRey 

of the James 

An even more striking advantage, however, appears 
upon t. r mination of the James river as a suit- 

able location for the rmor plant. Down in the valley 
of the James arc Hie tracks of the three great coal 

ro£ ffing I >cahontas and New Eiver coal. Com- 

ing from the ~ — _ Virginia and Virginia coal fie". 
:_rse roa iniinate at Hampton Eoads. The Che 

peake and Ohio follows the north bank of the river and 
has its Terminals a: Newport News. Thr N rfolk and 
= :ern, diverging from the river, nms sooth of the 
pomat: :z. and ends Norfolk. The Virginian, alsc 
a -ith of the Appomattox and the James, emptie i its 
:■:-.". a: Se~ell's r ::l,: 

V Jume of Coal Movement Through the James Ri* 

TaUey 

The amonnt of coal bronght to tidewater by these three 
great roa is well worthy of note. During the year 1 
they together delivered at Hampton Eoads 14,812,480 

In 11- the amonnt of bitmninons coal moved to tide- 
watei - the important Atlantic ports was as follows:* 

'-' V :> LStMM 

?i.:i:t::::i 1 : : : r 4 

Hi/.i::: r ::■- : z 

Hampton Roads ... 11454.652 

ment on South Side of the James 

I: is 1 1 - :• worthy of note that of this vast volume of 
lefivered ■! Hampton Eoads, nearly three-fonrths 

•~The Production of Coal in 1914." OL S. Geological Survey, 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 33 

of the movement is on the south side of the James and 
Appomattox rivers. While the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Railway in 1915 delivered 4,162,850 gross tons of coal at 
Newport News, the Norfolk and Western Railway deliv- 
ered 7,530,607 gross tons at Norfolk, and the Virginian 
Railway delivered 3,119,023 gross tons at Sewell's Point, 
during the same period. 8 

Over half of the total coal tonnage to Hampton Roads 
moves over the Norfolk and Western Railway, whose 
direct lines run through Petersburg and the Petersburg- 
district. 

Movement of Iron Ore, Pig Iron, Limestone and Man- 
ganese Thorugh the Valley of the James 

As has been mentioned, these three coal roads also pro- 
vide the means of securing iron ore, pig iron, and the flux 
materials required in making armor plate ; and it is evi- 
dent from the comparative coal tonnage shown above that 
the combined facilities of the Norfolk and Western and 
the Virginian railroads, for handling this material on 
the south side of the James and Appomattox rivers far 
exceed those of the Chesapeake and Ohio to the north. 

Objections to Location North of the Appomattox River 

In the angle between the James and the Appomattox 
rivers, and west of their confluence, lies the County 
of Chesterfield, in which Petersburg is partially located. 
It has been suggested that an armor plant might advan- 
tageously be located in this county on the James river, 
above its confluence with the Appomattox. The objec- 
tions to a site on the James above the mouth of the Ap- 
pomattox or on the north side of the Appomattox are 
immediately apparent. At such a point there exists a 
natural barrier in the form of a navigable river separat- 
ing the proposed site from the Chesapeake and Ohio 
coal movement north of the James, and from the Norfolk 

8 The figures are taken from "The Coal Trade" for 1916, by Frederick 
E. Saward. 



34 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

and Western and the Virginian coal movements south of 
the Appomattox. Moreover, the tortuous channel of the 
James above City Point makes the maintenance of the 
desired channel depth much more difficult and costly. 
Such a location would be inaccessible to labor and ma- 
terials and the furnishing of adequate rail transportation 
would be difficult. 

Climatic and Health Conditions — Freshets — Food 
Supply — Living Conditions 

The location south of the James and Appomattox rivers 
also offers unexcelled climatic and general health con- 
ditions. The general climatic conditions are shown in 
Statistical Table 7. Throughout this section, serious 
storms and earthquakes are practically unknown; and, 
while the annual spring freshets may be counted on, they 
have never resulted in any serious loss of property or 
life as compared to the catastrophes along the Ohio and 
in other sections. At the points on the James and Ap- 
pomattox rivers suggested as locations for the proposed 
armor plate plant, where the tide movement is between 
three and four feet, the effect of a freshet is not 
noticeable. 

The advantage of the nearby food supply, furnished 
by the agricultural territory tributary to Petersburg, and 
by the great trucking section between Petersburg and 
Norfolk and in Eastern North Carolina is worthy of 
consideration. 

Topography South of the James and Appomattox Rivers 

The topography of the country south of the James 
and Appomattox rivers, and east of Petersburg is in it- 
self another strong inducement for the location of a 
large manufacturing plant in this section. The bluffs 
on the James river rise to a height at places of perhaps 
90 feet, varying from that to only a few feet above high 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 35 

tide. The general topography of the country is slightly 
rolling, so that railroads and highways can be built at 
small cost, and with easy grades. The land at either 
of the locations suggested on the Appomattox and James 
rivers affords abundant space for placing the proposed 
armor plant on level ground. The size of the tract at 
the Powhatan location (James river site), together with 
its varying height, affords opportunity to place the plant 
at any desired level above tidewater, up to 90 feet. 

"Narrows" of the James Mark the Limit of Brackish 
Water — Afford Location for Crossing — Are Accessible 
to Labor and to Railroads. 

The location of the armor plant on the south side of 
the James river, within the county of Prince George, 
is especially desirable for other reasons. The Powha- 
tan location on the James is at the " Narrows' ' of the 
river, where exists the only practicable crossing for a 
railroad. This is the narrowest point on the river below 
the head of navigation, and the bluff at this point, with 
a height of 90 feet, makes it possible to build a railroad 
bridge at such a height as not to impede navigation. 
Such a bridge, if built, would give a connection with the 
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, thus bringing to the south 
side of the James at this point the third great coal road 
hauling Pocahontas and New River coal to tidewater. 
Below the " Narrows' ' of the James, the water some- 
times becomes brackish — the up-stream limit of brackish 
water being practically the mouth of the Chickahominy, 
some eight or ten miles below Fort Powhatan. Below 
the " Narrows," a location on the James river would 
be less accessible by rail and highway to labor and food 
supplies, and would be more remote from the coal roads 
on the south side, while affording no opportunity to 
reach the coal road on the north side of the river. 



36 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

Depth of River Channels 

The Appomattox river location, situated three or four 
miles up the Appomattox, presents all the advantages 
which have been enumerated, except that it would re- 
quire a longer water haul, and a constant dredging of 
the bar at the mouth of the Appomattox where the depth 
is only about twelve feet to keep the river open with 
a minimum channel depth of 20 feet. At the James river 
location the river is from 70 to 90 feet deep, while below 
the channel is constantly maintained with a minimum 
depth of twenty feet to the ocean. 



ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF A LOCATION IN 
THE PETERSBURG AREA 

East and West Transportation Facilities 

The relative economic advantages of a location in the 
Petersburg area are worthy of serions consideration. 
This area is served by the Norfolk and Western, and 
the Virginian, east and west trnnk line railroads. At the 
suggested site on the James river at Fort Powhatan the 
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway also can be brought into 
the area. The east and west freight rates for the Peters- 
burg district are as cheap as any on the Atlantic sea- 
board and give the area advantages over even Baltimore, 
Philadelphia and New York. 

North and South Railroads 

Petersburg and vicinity also are served by three great 
north and south lines, namely, the Atlantic Coast Line, 
the Seaboard Air Line, and the Southern Railway, run- 
ning from Florida up through Virginia, where connec- 
tions with the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 
Railway and the Pennsylvania Lines place the area in 
direc rail communication with all important northern 
and eastern points. With the rail lines proposed to be 
constructed to the James river location at Fort Pow- 
hatan, direct connection with all these lines will be 
secured. 

Bay Steamship Lines — River Steamship Service 

In addition to these unexcelled railroad facilities, the 
steamship lines operating on Chesapeake bay and from 
Norfolk and Newport News along the Atlantic coast and 
to the commercial ports of the world are available to this 
territory. The Old Dominion Line, for instance, operates 
a daily boat service from Norfolk up the James to Rich- 
mond via City Point. A daily boat service also is oper- 

37 



38 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

ated on the Appomattox and James from Petersburg to 
Claremont, and between Petersburg and Eichmond, via 
Hopewell and City Point. All the steamboat lines oper- 
ating on the lower James pass the proposed site at Fort 
Powhatan; while those operating on the Appomattox 
pass the suggested Appomattox site. 

Trolley Lines 

Practically all the trolley lines in Eichmond, Peters- 
burg, Norfolk and Portsmouth are owned by the Vir- 
ginia Eailway and Power Company, which is one of the 
largest trolley holding companies in the South. This 
company operates an hourly interurban trolley service 
between Petersburg and Eichmond. The steam service 
rendered over the Atlantic Coast Line between Peters- 
burg and Eichmond is frequent and quick, the distance 
being covered in thirty minutes ; while the Seaboard Air 
Line also operates a number of fast trains each way 
every day. 

Between Petersburg and Hopewell a twenty-minute 
trolley service is maintained by an independent inter- 
urban line. 

Highways 

Petersburg is located on the Quebec to Miami highway, 
which passes through the city and connects it with Eich- 
mond. A modern concrete highway, to connect Peters- 
burg and Hopewell, which has been financed by contribu- 
tions from the City of Petersburg, the County of Prince 
George, the duPont Company, and numerous individuals, 
is nearing completion. This eight miles of highway will 
cost about $120,000. This highway will be extended to 
the Appomattox location, should that be selected, or to 
the James river location at Fort Powhatan, should that 
site be selected, or a direct concrete road from Peters- 
burg to this site will promptly be constructed. 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 39 

Rousing Conditions 

With the influx some 18 months ago of nearly thirty 
thousand operatives for the duPont munitions works 
at Hopewell, the Petersburg-Hopewell district success- 
fully carried on a most extensive building program in 
order to provide living accommodations for a new, unex- 
pected population equal to the existing Petersburg popu- 
lation. Residences were built literally by the thousands, 
while numerous hotels, rooming houses, and commercial 
houses were erected or enlarged. 

"When the duPont works were completed, nearly ten 
thousand construction employes were discharged. The 
full time operating staff of this plant is composed of 
between fifteen and twenty thousand people. 

The recent withdrawal of the construction force at the 
duPont works leaves available a large amount of house 
space in the city and district, which could be used to 
house a construction or operating force engaged at an 
armor plant in the area. 

Fuel Supply — Character and Cost of Coal 

In studying the fuel supply available at the locations 
suggested in the Petersburg district, the character and 
value of the Pocahontas and New River coals should 
not be overlooked. They are universally recognized as 
the premier steam coals of America, and rank among the 
highest in the world, being able to compete with the re- 
nowned Cardiff coal of Wales. In addition to these coals, 
there are important coal deposits just a few miles from 
Petersburg in Chesterfield county, which can easily be 
secured. 

The movement of Pocahontas and New River coals 
through the Petersburg area to tidewater on Hampton 
Roads already has been discussed. The low cost of 
these coals, however, should not be passed over without 
comment. The price of these coals at the mines is $1.25 



40 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

per net ton, with a $1.50 freight rate to Petersburg and 
other tidewater points on lower Chesapeake bay. In 
other words, number 3 bed Pocahontas or Sewell bed 
New River coal is delivered f . o. b. sidings at Petersburg, 
Hopewell or City Point at $2.75 per net ton. The freight 
rate on these coals destined for export at Hampton 
Roads is still lower, being $1.35 per gross ton. 

The United States Navy has awarded contracts for 
steaming coal for the current year as follows : 

At Hampton Roads, 750,000 tons of Pocahontas and New River Coal. 
At Philadelphia, 45,000 tons of Pennsylvania coal. 
At New York, 50,000 tons of Pennsylvania coal. 
At Baltimore, 10,000 tons of Pennsylvania coal. 
At Annapolis, 7,500 tons of Pennsylvania coal. 
At Charleston, 12,000 tons of New River coal. 
Total, 874,000 tons of coal. 

The prices which the navy will pay for the Pocahontas 
and New River coals at Hampton Roads range from 
$2.58 to $2.85 per ton, as compared with from $3.02 to 
$3.40 per ton which must be paid for the Pennsylvania 
coals at the northern ports. Consider further that the 
character of the Pocahontas and New River coals is far 
superior to the Pennsylvania coals, 9 and the advantages 
of a location on lower Chesapeake bay, as far as fuel is 
concerned, are unexcelled. 

In 1914, according to the reports of the United States 
Geological Survey, the production of Pocahontas and 



•Typical analyses of Pocahontas and New River coals compared 
with Pennsylvania and Alabama coals, according to reports supplied by 
the United States Bureau of Mines: 



3*5 

a, 6 

Moisture 2.82 

Volatile matter 17.76 

Fixed carbon 74.95 

Ash 4.56 

Sulphur 49 

British thermal units 14,573 





*o 


^^ 




<a 


"a 


^^ 


.9 ft* 


<t> 


£ft> 




<3 © 




s -a 




£<2 


ft,3 




2.89 


3.34 


1.95 


25.61 


35.16 


30.66 


69.18 


56.91 


60.04 


2.32 


4.59 


7.35 


.55 


1.42 


2.75 


14,796 


13,975 


13,963 



PETERSBUEG, VIRGINIA 41 

New River coal, by principal counties in which the mines 
are located, was as follows: 

Net tons loaded at 
mines for shipment 
West Virginia: 

McDowell county (Pocahontas center) 13,193,032 

Mercer county 2,627,554 

Fayette county (New River center) 8,267,536 

Raleigh county 5,297,210 

Virginia: 
Tazewell county (Pocahontas) 1,169,997 

Total 30,555,329 

In 1913, Virginia produced and shipped 1,303,603 tons 
of coke, and West Virginia 2,472,752 tons, while the 
Norfolk and Western Railway alone handled 1,280,638 net 
tons of Pocahontas coke. It is thus evident that Peters- 
burg has an adequate coke as well as an adequate coal 
supply. 

Iron Ore, Pig Iron, Limestone, Manganese, and Nickel 10 

Supplies of iron ores, pig iron and scrap iron being 
available by water transportation in times of peace, and 
protected supplies of iron ores and pig iron from the Vir- 



10 mlscellaneous notes on the important raw materials required 
in Armor Plate Making: 

Nickel: The nickel supply of the United States depends on the 
Canadian deposits, which are located near Sudbury, Ontario. The 
mines have an annual ore output sufficient to produce about 20,000 
tons of metallic nickel. The deposits are controlled by the International 
Nickel Company. Mining operations are carried on under the name 
of the Canadian Copper Company. The ore is reduced to a matte at 
the mines (which contains about 70 per cent nickel) and in this form 
imported into the United States free of duty. Under the name of the 
Orford Copper Company, these imports are refined at Bayonne, New 
Jersey. 

The metallic nickel is sold by the International Nickel Company, 
based on New York, at from 35 to 50 cents a pound. 

Other sources of nickel in the United States are the by-product 
nickel produced by the copper smelters in New Jersey — possibly 800 
tons of metallic nickel a year are produced in this way; the by-product 
nickel from the lead smelters in Missouri, and the deposits of nickel 
ores in Pennsylvania (the Cornwall mines in Lebanon county pro- 
duce about 100 tons a year), Virginia, Idaho, Washington and Nevada. 
Outside of the Canadian supply, however, all these other sources are 
relatively unimportant. 

Of particular significance to the Petersburg area, however, is 
the fact that the iron ores of Cuba, when refined, contain approxi- 
mately 1 per cent of metallic nickel. 



42 PETERSBURG. VIRGINIA 

gjiris^ -Tgr- nessee district always being available in times 
of war. constitute a strong argument in favor of the 
Petersburg area as a location for the armor plant. An 
adequate supply of scrap iron also is available in the im- 
zLrii:?-:^ :rrri::r7 ii :: =_:"::.:: ""- rr-riirri 1;_t ; ;::t > 
available in Virginia along the lines of the coal roads in 
unlimited quantities. It is also worthy of note that Vir- 
ginia, has heretofore supplied more manganese than any 
other State in the United States, and that Virginia and 
Georgia together produced the bulk of the domestic out- 
put in 1915. 

A site in the Petersburg area is easily accessible - 
the foreign manganese deposits, while unequalled oppor- 
tunities for securing nickel and the other required met 
are had. Nickel found in Floyd county, Virginia, 
shown on map 6. While these deposits have not as 
yet been commercially operated, they, nevertheless, af- 
ford a possible supply in ease the Canadian nickel sup 
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PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 43 

Water Supply 

The water supply at the proposed Fort Powhatan 
site on James river forms another strong argument in its 
favor. Not only is the river water fresh and sweet at 
this point, furnishing an abundant supply for industrial 
purposes, but an abundant supply of drinking water can 
be obtained from artesian and driven wells on the prop- 
erty itself. 

Labor Supply 

It should further be noted that a location in the Peters- 
burg area suggested provides what is probably the 
greatest labor market on the Atlantic seaboard south 
of Baltimore. The labor market of the Petersburg area 
embraces labor from the Virginia urban centers at Nor- 
folk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, Hopewell, 
Petersburg, Richmond, Lynchburg and Roanoke, and the 
cities and rural regions of the Carolinas. The existence 



Imports of iron ore into the United States in 1913 amounted to 
2,594,770 gross tons, coming from the following countries: 

Gross tons 

Cuba 1,635,622 

Newfoundland, Labrador and Canada 393,328 

Sweden . 356,074 

Spain 112,580 

All other countries 97,166 

Baltimore and Philadelphia together received 2,469,548 tons of the 
total imports of iron ores during this year. 

It may also be mentioned that in 1913, 57,225 tons of ore were 
imported from Venzuela, and in 1914, 34,180 tons were imported from 
Chile. 

Manganese: The American supply of manganese ores is principally 
imported, as shown by the following table: 

Domestic 
production Imports 

Year (tons) (tons) 

1913 4,048 345,090 

1915 9,709 305,236 

In 1913, the United States imported 70,200 tons of manganese ores 
from Brazil, and the rest from Russia and India. In 1915, however, 
because of the European war, the imports from Brazil jumped to 
268,786 tons. 

The domestic supply of manganese ores comes from Virginia and 
Georgia. 



U PETERSBURG. VIRGINIA 

for many years at Richmond of the Old Dominion Iron 
and Nail TVorks, and the Tredegar Iron TVorks, of the 
Virginia Bridge Company and similar industries at Roa- 
noke and Lynchburg ; of the Newport News Shipbuilding 
Company, at Newport News: and of the Norfolk Navy 
Yard, at Norfolk, assures the presence of an adequate 
supply of labor familiar with the general character of 
work required to operate an armor plant. The enormous 
aggregation of labor brought together by the duPont 
Company at their Hopewell works, a few miles from 
Petersburg, where, within three or fourth months, nearly 
30.000 men were actually employed, shows the ease with 
which adequate labor can be secured. Labor in the 
Petersburg section is contented and satisfied. Serious 
strikes and labor disputes are practically unknown. 



The principal foreign deposits are in Brazil. Cuba, Newfoundland. 
Panama and British India. 

Ferrochrome: The world's supply of ferrochrome is controlled 
by the Electro-Metallurgical Company at Niagara Falls. The chromite 
■res come chiefly from New Caledonia, in the Southern Pacific, South 
Africa, and Canada. 

Ferromanganese and Spiegeleisen: In 1913, the United States 
imported a little more than half of its ferromanganese — chiefly from 
the steel communities in England and Germany. The steel industries 
of England, France and Germany depend on imported manganese ores 
for their supply of ferromanganese. from which supply the United 
States drew until the opening of the European war. In 1915. the 
United States produced 144,260 tons of ferromanganese and only im- 
ported 55.263 tons — which came from England. 

In 1915, we also produced practically all of our spiegeleisen in our 
own steel works. In this year we produced in the United States 
114.556 tons of spiegeleisen and imported only 200 tons from England. 

Ferrosilicon .- Ferrosilicon usually is made from sand and pig iron, 
either in blast furnaces or by an electro process. The blast furnace 
product :5 of low grade and cannot compare with the product of the 
electro plants. 

The Electro-Metallurgical Company of Niagara Falls has electro 
plants also at Holcombs Rock, Va., and at Glen Ferris, W. Va.; while 
the Shawinigui Electro Products Co mpan y Canadian) has a plant at 
Highlandtown. Md. There ar T electro plants at Primos, Pa., and at 
Heroult, Cal. ; and blast furnaces at Ashland, Ky., and at New Straits- 
ville, Jackson and ZanesYille, Ohio. 

Fluorspar: The United States produces the highest grade of fluor- 
spar, which, together with limestone, forms the base of the flux 
materials in the manufacture of armor plate. The domestic deposits are 
principally in Kentucky and Illinois. In 1913, 22,682 tons of spar 
were imported from England, while the domestic production was 
115.580 tons. Of the total domestic production of 136,941 tons in 
1915, Kentucky and Illinois together produced 135,559 tons. 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 45 

DuPont Munition Plant at Hopeivell 

No stronger evidence of the economic value of a loca- 
tion south of the James and Appomattox rivers can be 
adduced than is afforded by the action of the E. I. duPont 
de Nemours and Company in selecting the Petersburg- 
area for the location of the largest of its munition plants. 
The site at Hopewell, near City Point, was selected nearly 
a year prior to the breaking out of the European war 
for the establishment of a dynamite plant. The relative 
economic advantages possessed by the Petersburg area 
alone influenced the company in the selection of this site. 
After the European war broke out, the plant was changed 
into a guncotton plant, and is now reported to be the 
largest of its kind in the United States, employing at 
first (until construction operations were completed) 
nearly 30,000 men, and now giving permanent employ- 
ment to about 15,000 operatives. 

Rail and water transportation facilities and freight 
rates, the unlimited supply of fresh river water (of which 
the company can filter and use, with its present equip- 
ment, more than 40,000,000 gallons a day) added to the 
unequalled climatic and labor conditions, determined the 
company to select this location. 

From rather reliable sources of information, it ap- 
pears that the duPont Company will use this plant, repre- 
senting an actual investment of about $25,000,000, for 
the manufacture of dyes after the termination of the 
European war. 

Climatic and Health Conditions 

The general climatic and health conditions of the Peters- 
burg area already have been referred to, and it is respect- 
fully submitted that they will compare favorably with 
those of any section of the United States. 11 The long 
winters of the North do not occur; and while snow fre- 



u See Statistical Table 7. 



46 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

quently falls during the winter, it rarely remains on the 
ground more than 48 hours. In the summer, the nights 
are usually cool and comfortable. The average annual 
rainfall is 45.85 inches, and there are but few days in the 
year when outdoor dork cannot be carried on. 

Hydro-Electric Power 

In the establishment of any great industrial plant, the 
nearness and availability of hydro-electric power must 
always be a consideration. [While abundant and cheap 
coal makes possible the production of power in the Pe- 
tersburg area at a low figure, yet it is worthy of note 
that a large volume of hydro-electric power also is avail- 
able at Petersburg at a very low cost. Petersburg and 
Richmond are located at the head of tidewater, and at 
the foot of the falls of the Appomattox and James rivers, 
respectively. On the Appomattox river, within five miles 
of the head of tidewater, there is a possible hydro-elec- 
tric development of 20,000 constant horsepower. About 
one-half of this water power already is used. At Rich- 
mond the possible, as well as the actual water power 
development, is larger even than at Petersburg. High 
power transmission lines connect the two places, enabling 
the current to be shifted as demanded. This entire power 
development, as well as the street railways in Petersburg, 
Richmond and Norfolk, is owned by the Virginia Railway 
and Power Company, a Virginia corporation, which can 
furnish hydro-electric power to the proposed plant in 
almost any required quantities, at not exceeding one-half 
cent per kw. h., and probably as low as one-third of a cent 
per kw. h. 

Food Supply 

And it is well again to mention that the volume and 
character of the food supply, especially the agricultural 
products of the counties contiguous to Petersburg, add 
a most valuable asset to the many other advantages which 
a location in the Petersburg area would possess. 



ASSUEANCES OF ADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION 
FACILITIES TO SERVE THE SPECIFIC LOCA- 
TION RECOMMENDED 

The transportation facilities to serve the locations 
recommended in the Petersburg area are as follows : 

(1) The site offered by the City of Petersburg is 
crossed by the Norfolk and Western and by the Atlantic 
Coast Line railroads, while the main lines of the Seaboard 
Air Line Railway are within one-half mile. All three 
roads are connected by a belt line. This site adjoins the 
city on its southern edge. 

(2) The site on the Appomattox river borders the river 
for a mile and a half (where the channel is deep) and is 
served by the double track branch line of the Norfolk 
and Western running from Petersburg to Hopewell and 
City Point, by single track trolley road between Peters- 
burg and Hopewell, and by a new concrete highway be- 
tween the latter places, now nearing completion. In 
addition, this location can readily be served by a rail- 
road line to be extended from Chester, in Chesterfield 
county, at the junction of the Seaboard Air Line and 
Atlantic Coast Line railways, across the Appomattox 
river to Hopewell, thus giving it a through northern 
connection. 

(3) The site on the James river, known as the Pow- 
hatan site, borders the James for two or three miles. 
The channel at this point occupies the entire width of 
the river, which is about a quarter of a mile. The depth 
of the river along the shore of this property varies from 
70 to near 90 feet. The minimum channel depth to 
Hampton Roads is 20 feet. It is now without railroad 
facilities of any kind, but assurances are given that ade- 
quate facilities will immediately be provided if the site 
should be selected as the location for the proposed armor 
plant. 

These assurances are as follows: 

(a) The Norfolk and Western Railway immediately 

47 



48 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 

will extend its double track lines from a point near 
Petersburg, across Prince George county, to Fort 
Powhatan. 

(b) It seems reasonably certain that the Chesapeake 
and Ohio Railway will bridge the river at this point, if 
the armor plate plant is located there, and thus connect 
the site with its main lines north of the James, near 
Providence Forge. 

(c) Assurances can be given, if required, that a rail- 
road will be constructed to this location, in the nature 
of a belt line, connecting directly with the Virginian, the 
Norfolk and Western and the Southern roads, and also 
with the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line, in 
addition to the possible connection with the Chesapeake 
and Ohio, and, through Petersburg and Richmond, with 
other northern connections. 

(d) Suitable assurances will be given that a trolley 
road will be constructed at once from Petersburg to Fort 
Powhatan. 

(e) Likewise suitable assurances will be given that a 
hard paved road will be built across Prince George county 
from Petersburg to this location if the Secretary of the 
Navy should select it as the site for the armor plant. 

General Assurances as to Transportation Facilities 

In a word, if this James river location is selected, 
suitable assurances will be presented for the furnishing 
of entirely adequate steam railroad, trolley road, and 
highway facilities, which, with the river facilities which 
the location enjoys, will make it the most desirable place 
for the Government armor plant in the United States. 

These assurances will be given by the corporation of 
Petersburg, by the County of Prince George, by railroad 
and trolley corporations, by other corporations of good 
standing, and by responsible individuals. The Secretary 
of the Navy is invited most earnestly to make a thorough 
investigation of the relative advantages which this site 
possesses for the location of the proposed armor plant. 



CONCLUSION 

In conclusion, it is again respectfully claimed that no 
other section of the United States can offer equal induce- 
ments in the way of protected supplies of fuel and raw 
materials ; transportation facilities and low freight rates ; 
accessibility and adequate labor supply; ideal climatic, 
health and labor conditions; hydro-electric power and 
nearness to the great shipbuilding plants and navy yards ; 
abundance of food and low rents ; good living conditions 
and adequate housing facilities. Certainly no other prac- 
tical location can offer greater safety in time of war, 
as the defense of the Chesapeake bay region must always 
be one of the first cares of the United States. Defense 
of this location does not depend on possible future Con- 
gressional action, but on forts and fortifications already 
existing and already authorized. 

A naval armor plate plant located in the Petersburg 
district on the south side of the James and Appomattox 
rivers, in the County of Prince George, Virginia, will be 
always available and always well and cheaply supplied 
with raw material from protected sources, so long as 
the United States has a navy to provide with armor plate. 

Eespectfully submitted, 
PETERSBURG ARMOR PLANT COMMITTEE, 

Chaeles T. Lassiter, Chairman, 
Wmj. M. Martin, Secretary. 
Charles Hall Davis, Counsel, 

Sub-Committee on Preparation of Argument : 
LeRoy Hodges, Chairman, 
J. W. Brown. 
John E. Harvell. 
September 12, 1916. 

49 



GENERAL STATISTICS OF PETERSBURG 



GENERAL STATISTICS OF PETERSBURG 

Table 1. — General Financial Condition of the City of Petersburg: 1913- 1 

Subject Statistics 

Population 

Estimated as of July 1, 1913 24,878 

Valuation and Taxation 

Total assessed valuation of property $20,359,335 

Real property 11,141,060 

Personal property 9,218,275 

Per capita assessed valuation of property 818. 37 

Basis of assessment (per cent of true valuation) : 

Real property 75 

Personal property 75 

Average rate for city purposes: 

Per $1,000 of assessed valuation 14 . 00 

Per $1,000 of estimated true valuation 10. 50 

Total levies of property taxes 285,131 

Per capita levy of property taxes 11.46 

Income 

Total receipts during the year $451,679 

Revenue receipts 404,403 

Non-revenue receipts 47,276 

Per capita income from revenue receipts 16 . 26 

Expenditures 

Total payments during the year $426,761 

Governmental cost payments 393,859 

Non-governmental cost payments 32,902 

Per capita governmental cost payments 15 . 83 

Indebtedness 

Total indebtedness $1,415,000 

Funded debt outstanding 1,415,000 

Net indebtedness 776,358 

Per capita net indebtedness 31 . 21 

Assets 

Total city assets and properties $1,718,884 

Sinking fund assets 638,642 

Value of city properties 975,000 



1 Compiled from "Wealth, Debt and Taxation, 1913," Bureau of the Census, 
Washington. 

53 



54 PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 



Table 2. — Summary of Statistics of Manufactures for Petersburg as Reported 
by the Bureau of the Census, 1909-1914. l 

Per cent of 
Census increase, 

Item 1914 1909 1909-1914 

Number of establishments 87 72 .... 

Persons engaged in manufactures 4,320 4,332 — 0.3 

Proprietors and firm members 63 45 .... 

Salaried employes 354 400 — 11.5 

Wage earners (average number) 3,903 3,887 0.4 

Primary horsepower 6,549 5,239 25 . 

Capital 86,497,000 $5,221,000 24 . 4 

Services 1,799.000 1,541,000 16.7 

Salaries 407,000 434,000 —6.2 

Wages 1,392,000 1,107,000 25.7 

Materials 8,393,000 5,759,000 45 . 7 

Value of products 12,610,000 8,896,000 41.8 



1 Compiled from a preliminary report of the Bureau of the Census issued at 
Washington in April, 1916. 



Table 3. — Value of Exports and Imports of the Port of Petersburg, by Years, 

1911-1915 1 

Fiscal year ending Value of exports* Value of Customs 

June 30 Declared Actual imports receipts 

1911 $1,718,893 $2,062,672 $366,691 $110,384 

1912 3,303,844 3,964.613 488,356 142,329 

1913 4,014,847 4,817,816 570,342 137,967 

1914 4,746,677 5,696,012 660,456 177,715 

1915 4,002,075 4,802,490 256,861 86,873 

Total $17,786,336 $21,343,603 $2 342,706 $655,268 



1 Compiled from and based on the official records of the United States 
Customs House at Petersburg. 

2 Exports from Petersburg that pass through the local Customs House are 
composed entirely of manufactured tobacco from Petersburg factories. 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 



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VIRGINIA 






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1916 

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oldliaJilisen 66,669 

Total $1,110,600 



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1915 1915-1916 

485.6 



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$875,606 969.6 



r--f ::' :ie 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 59 



Table 9. — Value of Specified Crops Produced in the Eleven Southside Virginia 
Counties in Petersburg's Local Trade Territory, as Reported by the Thirteenth 
Census. 1 

Crop Value 

Total all crops $11,836,509 

Corn 2,673,228 

Wheat 250,517 

Oats 140,125 

Hay and forage 736,698 

Tobacco 2,246,748 

Peanuts 2,015,000* 

Cotton 412,489 

Vegetables 1,144,929 

Fruits and nuts 300,358 

All other crops 1,916,417 

1 Compiled from "The Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910," Vol, 
V, pp. 776-79. 

2 Approximation. The value of peanuts was not reported separately. 



Table 10. — Production of Corn, Peanuts and Tobacco in the Eleven Specified 
Southside Virginia Counties in Petersburg's Local Trade Territory, as Reported 
by the Thirteenth Census. 1 

Corn Peanuts Tobacco 

County ( No. bushels) ( No. bushels) ( No. pounds) 

Southside counties (total) 3,044,642 2,013,177 25,280,802 

Amelia 204,934 100 2,703,531 

Brunswick 345,353 60,506 3,018,946 

Chesterfield 313,837 65,113 276,485 

Dinwiddie 338,289 231,965 3,368,259 

Greensville 114,135 175,518 6,200 

Lunenburg 292,400 13 5,564,638 

Mecklenburg 525,086 14,779 7,934,160 

Nottoway 232,326 412 2,402,678 

Prince George 227,153 431,586 125 

Surry 207,870 463,980 100 

Sussex 243,259 569,205 5,680 



1 Compiled from "Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910,' ' Vol. VII, 
pp. 810-820. 



60 



PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 



Table 11. — Annual Production of Lumber in Virginia within 
50 Miles of Petersburg, by Specified Counties, as Reported by 
Census. 1 

Total cut 
all kinds 
County (FeetB. M.) 

Amelia 18,446,000 

Brunswick 78,510,000 

Chesterfield 39,599,000 

Dinwiddie 84,138,000 

Greensville 37,570,000 

Lunenburg 48,632,000 

Mecklenburg 47,415,000 

Nottoway 19,448,000 

Prince George 3,059,000 

Southampton 95,474,000 

Surry 70,483,000 

Sussex 20,486,000 

Total 563,260,000 



a Radius of 
the Thirteenth 

Cut of 
yellow pine 
(FeetB. M.) 
13,917,000 
73,010,000 
35,574,000 
76,006,000 
37,228,000 
37,330,000 
41,266,000 
16,037,000 

2,016,000 
78,324,000 
68,662,000 
19,162,000 

498,532,000 



1 Figures furnished by the State Forester of Virginia based on the Thirteenth 
Census of the United States. 

Table 12. — Railroad Distances and First-class Mail Time between Petersburg 

and Thirty Specified Cities in the United States East of the Mississippi 
River. 1 

Distance by First-class 

railroad. mail time. 

From Petersburg to Miles Hours Minutes 

Richmond. Va 23 33 

Norfolk, Va 82 2 10 

Washington, D. C 138 4 20 

Baltimore, Md 178 5 32 

Wilmington, X. C 223 8 20 

Philadelphia, Pa 273 7 40 

Charlotte, N. C 280 11 00 

New York, X. Y 365 9 40 

Charleston, S. C 374 10 49 

Pittsburgh, Pa 440 14 05 

Savannah. Ga 479 13 22 

Atlanta, Ga 556 16 37 

Chattanooga. Tenn 567 20 25 

Cleveland, Ohio 571 17 35 

Buffalo, X. Y 574 18 00 

Boston, Mass 577 16 22 

Cincinnati, Ohio 602 16 10 

Jacksonville, Fla 618 17 52 

Louisville, Kv 665 24 40 

Nashville, Tenn 718 28 10 

Birmingham, Ala 722 21 57 

Detroit. Mich 759 25 30 

Memphis, Tenn 880 34 40 

Mobile, Ala 906 26 52 

Chicago, 111 907 25 15 

St. Louis. Mo 941 25 10 

Milwaukee, Wis 992 28 40 

New Orleans, La 1,046 81 07 

Minneapolis, Minn 1,329 37 12 

Duluth, Minn 1,470 43 00 



1 Figures furnished by 
Railway Mail Service. 



Superintendent, Third Division, United States 



MAPS 



61 



MAPS 

Map 1. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with reference 
to distribution of population, wealth, manufactures and agri- 
cultural products; to the location of United States Navy 
Yards, and important private shipbuilding plants, and to 
the location of existing armor plate works in the United 
States. 

Map 2. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with reference 
to lower Chesapeake Bay (according to the United States 
Coast and Geodetic Survey), showing proposed alternate 
sites for the Government armor plant south of the Appo- 
mattox and James rivers, 1916. 

Map 3. Railroad facilities at Petersburg, Virginia, and of the adjacent 
territory within a radius of 50 miles, 1916. 

Map 4. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with reference 
to the distribution of iron ores in the United States, accord- 
ing to the United States Geological Survey. 

Map 5. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with reference 
to the location of blast furnaces in the United States, accord- 
ing to the Thirteenth Census of the United States. 

Map 6. Geographical location of Petersburg, Virginia, with reference 
to the supply and movement to tidewater of Pocahontas and 
New River coal; and to the Virginia deposits of limestone 
and manganese and nickel ores in 1916. 

Map 7. Petersburg, Virginia, and environs, showing industrial com- 
munities and railroad and other transportation facilities 
in 1916. 

Map 8. Petersburg, Virginia, showing local railroad facilities and loca- 
tion of primary and secondary industrial establishments 
in 1916. 



63 







M o N T 



N. DAK. 



MINN 



><7 



Geographical Location 

Petersburg, Virginia 

With Reference to Important Ship Yards 

And Existing 

Armor-Plate Works 

1916 



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RAILROAD MAP OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA: 1916 



BUREAU OF APPLIED ECONOMICS 
Southern Bldg. , Waehington 



4 






Local Domestic Supply 
COAL AND LIMESTONE 

Manganese and Nickel Ores 

Available at 

Petersburg, Virginia 

1916 





Hundred. 




ity Point. 



4 



INDUSTRIAL MAP 



PETERSBURG, VA. 

AND ENVIRONS 

1916 

Scale in miles 



BUREAU OF APPLIED ECONOMICS 

SOUTHERN BUILDING 

WASHINGTON 



8 



LEGEND 

1. Tobacco factor! 

2. Woodworking plants. 

3. Peanut factories. 

4. Trunk factories. 

■ Other buildings used in primary industries 

E3 Secondary industries. 

^ Buildings for designated purposes. 

Steam railroads. 

Electric railways. 




iiifiritfinii 

021 067 314 3 



